Ferrari chiefs return to Maranello for crisis talks over team's poor showing in Australian Grand Prix

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali and technical director Pat Fry have
returned to the team’s Maranello headquarters for emergency meetings
following the team's disappointing start to the season.

Trying weekend: Felipe Massa retired from 13th place in the Australian Grand Prix after a collision with Williams's Bruno Senna Photo: SPORTSPHOTO

It is the second consecutive season that the team’s senior management have opted to return to Italy between back-to-back grands prix on the other side of the globe – Malaysia will host the second race of the season this weekend after Jenson Button’s victory in Melbourne on Sunday.

“There is no time to lose as there’s a pressing need to push flat-out on the development of the F2012,” the Italian team explained on their website yesterday.

Fernando Alonso’s fifth-place finish in Australia exceeded the team’s expectations after a dreadful Saturday in which neither he nor team-mate Felipe Massa made it to the third part of qualifying.

Alonso’s spin in Q2 was representative of the F2012’s handling characteristicsand only his brilliance at wrestling a skittish car around Albert Park got Ferrari out of jail.

Certainly Felipe Massa never got to grips with the car. The Brazilian had a truly appalling weekend, retiring from 13th place after a collision with Williams’s Bruno Senna. “It couldn’t have gone any worse,” he said.

Massa’s poor form – his fastest lap was over a second off that of his team-mate – has led to speculation that he may be replaced mid-season unless he can rediscover his mojo, a move Ferrari would be loathe to make given their emotional ties to a driver who almost died on their watch in Hungary in 2009.

“We need to stay close to Felipe because it’s clear that he’s under pressure,” Domenicali said. “I’ve asked his engineers to analyse the data on the car, also, to reassure him.”

Domenicali could use some reassurance himself. The Italian is one of the most widely liked and respected figures in the paddock.

But so far he has just one constructors’ championship, from his first season as team principal in 2008, to show for his efforts. His tenure has been characterised by almost constant change as he has sought to find the winning formula. But time waits for no man.

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo said before the start of the season that he was not about to sack anyone. But unless things change his trigger finger is likely to get increasingly itchy.

“We have fundamental issues,” Domenicali admitted before flying to Italy. “One is the speed, and the other thing is the traction. Obviously the car will be nearly identical [in Malaysia] because it’s next weekend, but we will try to improve something in the set-ups. And then for China, Bahrain etc, we will bring some updates. Hopefully, it will get better.”